Sound-modifying device



L L. Mc'QUARRIE. SOUND MODIFYING DEVICE.

xxwucmxoryruwmm. 18. 1918.

1,393,557; Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

. 7 ve nfok.

James A. M- Quark/e JAMES L. IJZCQUARRIE,

TRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N.

GE MUNTCLAIR, NEVJ JERSEY, ASSIGI-IOR TO WESTERN ELEC- Y., A CORPORATION 61F KEV! SOUND-MODIFYING DEVICE.

Application filed March 18, 1918. Serial No. 223131.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES L. MoQUAnmn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usciul Improvements in Smmd-ll lodifying" Devices of which the following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description.

lhis invention relates to means by which the sound produced by a phonograph diaphrugm or other source of sound vibration is modified. in. order to produce a more pleasing cii'ect, and it is directed more particularly to means by which the extent of the modification to which the produced sounds are subjected is selectively varied.

Phonographs in which an adjustable plug is mounted between the diaphragm and the outer end of born or like sound conveying device. are well-known. This arrangement, however, requires that the person in charge of the phonograph be familiar with the rec- 0rd to be played and that he be somewhat expert in the manipulation of the plugging mechanism if smooth execution of the selection is to be obtained.

An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement by which the adjustment of the sound modifying device is automatically controlled, so that the selec tion is always reproduced in the most satisfactory manner Without depending on the skill or attentiveness of an attendant. Other o-b'ects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in vertical cross section of the sound box and associated parts of a pl onbgruph in which the invention has been incorporated; Fig. 2 is a partial front View in elevation with the diaphragm removed and other parts broken away; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view, the greater part of the sound box being broken away. i v

In the arrangement shown in the drawing, the sound reducing diaphragm 1 1s mounted in a welldrnown manner in one end of the sound box 3, the other end of which has an opening 5 in alinement with the in. nor end of the born or sound conveyor/Z. Vibration of the diaphragm 1 is produced by suitable mechanism, such as a lcver 9 carrying a stylus 11 arranged to travel in groove 13 of the record member 15. These elements and arrangements may be replaced by other sound producing and conveying means, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art concerned. In ac-.

cordance with a preferred embodiment of, the present invention, the opening 5 of the sound box 3 is surrounded by an inwardly projecting annular flange 17 upon which is fitted the memhcrli), Pins 21 projecting from the flange 17 through slots 23 in the, member 19 hold the latter while permitting it a limited rotarymovee merit The forward end'of the member 19 comprises :i conical head 25 provided with a number of circumferentially spaced open; ings 27. v Fitted in the apex of the conical heed is a hearing 29 through which extends the short shaft 31. (in the inner-end this shaft is fixed a hollow conical member-33 having slots 35 which may be brought more or less into alinement with the slots 25 by rotating th shaft 3i. The outer and. of shaft 31 carries a later-all projecting pin 37 which slidably in tie socket 39 cerried on one end of the spring held lever ll This lever is pivoted at 42-3 on sound he 3 and carries at itsother end a stylus l5.

The stylus 45 travels in a groove 47 of the hill and valley type and tormedin the record member 15 alongside of and parallel to the groove 13. The groove 47 may be formed in the master record of which the record 15 is a reproduction by any suitable means; it may be cut by manually operated means or by automatic mechanism acting in conjunction with the ordinary record forming mechanism in response to the sounds being recorded, as described more in detail in my copending application, Serial N01 210,847, for method of and ap aratus for recording and reproducing scum filed Jeni nary 8, 1918.

Although the variations in depth of the groove 1? are necessarily slight, the multiplying effect of the lever 41 and of its connection to the shaft 31 causes the cone 33 to be rotated through considerable angles as the point of the stylus 45 travels over the undulations of the groove 47, and the effective size of the slots 27 accordingly .varies between relatively wide limits. As the volume of sound which passes from the sound box 3 into the born 7 depends upon the effective size of the slots fill, it will be seen that this on the flange 1? 2 g Lessee? mined plan, the rendering of, a selection.-

Since the undulations of the groove 13 and those of the groove 47 are integrally connected as parts of the record member 15, the operation of the modifier is in exact time re lationship with the operation of the diaphragm 1, and the difficulties and inaccu racies of manual control of the sound modification are avoided. Obviously the stylus 45 may, if desired, be removed and the automatic control of the sound modifier dispensed with. Between the conical members 25 and 33, but not covering the slots 27, is fitted a packing 34 which reduces the transcomparison with groove 13, as by similar undulations in a relatively shallow groove. A

shifting of the range of automatic adjustment of the modifier will likewise be produced by a change of the relative len ths of the portions of styli 11 and 45 which project from their respective holders, such as may readily occur, for instance, when a worn stylus is replaced; such shifting may also result from the wearing or other changes of the different parts of the operating mechanism. As a means of accomplishing the adjustment of the member 25 the member 21 is provided with a combined handle and index scale 49 v'yhich'projects through: the slot51 in'the wall of the sound box 3 and over which extends the finger 53 carried by l the conical member 33. When, with the stylus 45 in a neutral position in the groove 47,'the finger 53 is at one side of the arrow on the member 49, the latter member, and

consequently the member 21, should be adjusted until the arrow and finger are in alinement'. This arrangement also affords a means by which diiferent modifying ef-.

fectsmay be obtained from a given groove 47 bymoving the member 53 to the right or left of the-central arrow ori the scale member 49. v

This invention, as will be apparentfrom the above description, may be variously utilized for the modulation of reproduced sound .A specific instance is in connection with the reproduction of selections in which,

for example, loud orchestral gassages alternate with vocal passages; t e general effect of the selection will, under many circumstances, be improved if the variations of loudness in the reproduced piece are less extreme than in the original rendition.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a sound conveyor, a record, a sound box intermediate the conveyer'and record, a sound modifier within the sound box, an automatic means controlled by said record for adjusting the modifier. j

2. In combination, a sound chamber, a sound modifier within .said chamber, means for automatically adjusting said modifier and means for manually ad'usting sai modifier to correspond to a shiitng of the range of adjustment of said arst named means. missionof sound from the sound box to the 3. In combination, a sound conveyer, a record, a sound box lntermedlate the con veyer and record, a" sound modifier regulating the passage of sound waves r'rom the sound box to the conveyer, and means controlled by the record for automatically adjusting the modifier.

4. In combination, in a phonograph or the like, sound producing means, a sound chamber leading from said sound producin means, a valve insaid chamber, and record actuable means for controlling the position. of said valve.

5. In combination, a sound conveyer, a

record, a sound box intermediatethe conveyer and record,,record actuable means to eliect sound production'by the sound box, and record actuable means to vary the proportion of the sound produced by the sound box which is transmitted to the sound con veyer.

6. In .a phonograph, a sound producing diaphragm, a diaphragm chamber, a sound conveyor, an adjustablemodifier within the chamber to control the proportion of sound produced by the diaphragm which is transmitted from the diaphragm chamber to the conveyer, and record actuable means for automatically adjusting the modifier.

7 In combination, in a phonograph or the like',-a sound producing mechanism, mecha nism for variably modifying the sound after it is produced, and a record member having two parallel spiral groves for operating said sound producing sound modifying mechanism respectively, said grooves arranged radially alternate on said record member.

8. In combination, a sound producing veyer leading from the chamber, a sound modifier in the chamber, means for operatechanism and said sound producing mechanism, a chamber therefor, a sound conmeans? ing the sound producing mechanism, and

means 0 eretively connected with the first means 'or simultaneously adjusting the modifier.

10. In combination, a sound conveyer, a sound box having an opening through which communication is provided between the c0nveyer and sound box, the letter also having a flanged portion surrounding the sides of the opening, a pair of members covering the opening, each having one or more openings; said members being relatively movable to vary the extent of registration between the one or more openings in one member and the one or more openings in the other members and one of the members being edjustably mounted on the flanged portion to vary the normal extent of said registration, and means to eflect movement of the other member to vary the registration from the normal extent thereof.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 9th day of March A. D., 1918.

JAMES L. MoQUARRIE. 

